THE PINEY WOODS 147 MASONITE The Masonite Corporation was formed in 1925 after William H. Mason, a Laurel resident and engineer, discovered a use in 1924 for the stumps and scraps of timber left behind after the devastation of the Piney Woods region by skidders and steam loaders. This machinery was much more efficient at harvesting logs and replaced more labor-intensive methods, but it destroyed a large acreage of timber growth. Eventually, new timber was planted, and the Masonite process fused wood particles from these young trees and skidder rubbish into what is now known as particleboard. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF WAR INFORMATION PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION PHOTO COURTESY OF MISSISSIPPI RAILS